SUMMARY

Agreement is reached on the establishment of the Temporary Security Zone (TSZ). A draft of the Common Country Assessment (CCA) indicators for 2000 were presented and discussed in Massawa.

PEACE PROCESS

In accordance with the Algiers Peace Agreement, Eritrea and Ethiopia appointed officials to two commissions in late January; one to determine and delineate the boundary and one to rule on compensation claims. The appointments include nationals from the Netherlands, Nigeria, UK and USA. Both commissions should commence work within 15 days of being constituted.

The third meeting of the Military Co-ordination Commission (MCC), held in Nairobi on 6 February 2001, reached agreement to establish the 25km-deep TSZ on 12 February 2001. The governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed on the following key dates:

· 10 February, UNMEE Force Commander declares that there is a credible force in the mission area to carry out his mandate;

· 12 February, Ethiopia begins to re-deploy its forces to the Southern Boundary

· 17 February, Eritrea begins to rearrange its forces to the northern boundary

· 26 February, Ethiopian re-deployment of forces is completed

· 3 March, Eritrean rearrangement of forces is completed

Once establishment of the TSZ is completed and verified by UNMEE, Eritrea will start the restoration of civil administration in the zone.

Peace Building Conference

Eritrean NGO, Citizens for Peace in Eritrea (CPE), will hold a peace building conference in Asmara from 16-17 February 2001. The conference will host a number of speakers including an expert speaking on the role of customary law in solving disputes. Prior to the conference, CPE will hold an open day in Keren to enable IDPs to discuss the effect of war on their lives and how they envision peace. For further details, contact CPE office, 184333.

POPULATION MOVEMENTS

Exchange of Nationals

873 civilian Ethiopians were repatriated to their country on 2 February 2001 with the assistance of ICRC.

IDPs

There has been no major IDP movement recently. There is concern that there have been population movements in the northern part of Dedub Zone relating to the drought. 160 individuals and 71families migrated from Denbe-gu'uf and Adi Ke Tekula respectively, to their neighbouring villages and IDP camps.

The ICC Field team is currently traveling to all IDPs camps in Debub, Gash Barka and Northern Read Sea Zones. The mission will provide updated official IDP camp figures whilst also monitoring the current situation prevailing in the camps.

COMMON COUNTRY ASSESSMENT (CAA)

The CCA is a periodic country based participatory process for reviewing and analysing the national development situation and identifying key development issues and challenges as a basis for establishing a common framework for UN co-operation at the country level, known as the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). CCA indicators include demographics, economic growth and development, food security and nutrition, education, health, and environment.

A national CCA/ UNDAF workshop was held in Massawa on 29/30 January 2001 to identify priority areas of co-operation between the government and the UN system. Representatives from the Government of Eritrea (GoE), UN, civil society and other development partners, including donors and NGOs attended the workshop. Participants concluded that the CCA provides a first attempt to comprehensively capture development in Eritrea to date, and made concrete suggestions to improve the CCA document. The latter includes the decision to revise the CCA document to better reflect progress made by the GoE.

MINE INCIDENT

A landmine incident occurred on 23 January 2001 between Goluj and Mai-shegli, (approximately 36km east of Goluj). It is reported that a civilian vehicle detonated the anti-tank landmine. In the incident two persons died and six were injured, four are seriously.

SECTORAL WORKING GROUPS (SWG)

Education

The Education SWG meeting is now held once a month. Next meeting is scheduled for 9 February 2001.

Food

Below are details of food distributed in January.

There continue to be problems with food donations being earmarked for the drought- or war-affected beneficiaries. As a result of shortages for drought-affected beneficiaries food was borrowed in January to meet their distribution needs.

Health

Noting developments in the situation in Eritrea, the health SWG began the process of focusing attention to wider health and nutrition programmes in preparation for the large-scale return of IDPs.

Mine Action

The Governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia have presented maps showing the general dispositions of mined areas at the strategic level to the United Nation Mine Action Co-ordination Centre (UNMACC).

UNMACC held an open day on 26 January 2001, during which it was noted that landmine-surveying teams have identified some 100 different types of land mines in Eritrea. UNMACC also plans to start fortnightly mine awareness meetings on 7 February 2001 to update all agencies (not just those involved in mine action) on the current mine situation and offer mine awareness training. Staff who have already participated in mine awareness training are advised to attend such sessions to refresh their knowledge.

Micro credit

The ongoing micro-credit brain storming sessions are lively and attracting more participants. Discussions and information sharing on ongoing or proposed programmes takes place. The National Union of Eritrean Women's (NUEW) pilot project conducted in Makel Zone (UNDP funded) was discussed thoroughly during the latest meeting.

Shelter

No shelter SWG meetings have been held during the last four weeks.

WatSan

A general exchange of information took place on hygiene promotion, construction and rehabilitation of latrines and digging of wells and bore holes in IDP camps. The first draft of the WatSan emergency sector 2000 report was distributed among participants for comment and will be available later this month. It was noted that no organisation has taken responsibility for sanitation in the new Shelab camp accommodating 8000 rural deportees. There is concern about hygiene in Shelab camp, which has reported high incidences of diahorrea.

NGO NEWS

The British NGO, Mine Advisory Group (MAG) is currently in Asmara to assess the possibility of starting programmes in Eritrea. MAG would focus on training mine clearance teams.

SCHEDULE FOR NEXT SWG MEETINGS

Date	SWG	Time	Venue
20.02.2001	Non-food	11.00	Selam Hotel
20.02.2001	Food	16.00	WFP
22.02.2001	Micro-credit	08.30	UNDP
22.02.2001	Health	15.00	MoH
16.02.2001	WatSan	08.30	WRD *
09.02.2001	Education	10.30	MoE
14.02.2001	Mine Action	14.30	UNMACC

*Water Resource Department meeting hall.

Tel. 120404.

For further information relating to the ICC Update please contact ICC Information Officer Sirak Gebrehiwot

tel: 182923, 185154 or email icc@gemel.com.er